Interview with Ms. Delaney Kempner

Text of the Full Interview Below:

Since her childhood, Delaney Kempner has been surrounded by a strong sense of doing what is right. She has carried those values with her throughout her life.

When Delaney was young, she often accompanied her parents on election day to vote. She would even go inside the voting booth.

Further, she was inspired by her mom, who is a prominent environmentalist and doctor.

Another one of her inspirations was her  two aunts. The first was deeply involved with government and politics. Specifically,  she was a staunch advocate for DC statehood. She created documentaries highlighting people who have positively impacted their communities.Her other aunt was a journalist who helped spread awareness on the state of society through the news.

In her junior year of college, Delaney was fascinated by the class history of communism in China. In turn, she enrolled in political communications in campaigns and messaging. After college, she wasn’t sure what to do, but she ended up interning with a US senator. Later, she worked for a political consulting firm where she learned how to leverage news to achieve goals. She also worked on ballot initiatives.

One of the challenges Delaney faces throughout her career in public policy and communications is social media. She describes it as an incredible tool for spreading information quickly when used properly. However, she notes some of its challenges, citing that it is often not fact-checked and that many receive their information from non-traditional sources.

Delaney spent several years working with New York Attorney General Letitia James. She spent four months working on Attorney General James’ election campaign before she spent six years as the Deputy Director and then Director of Communications in the New York Attorney General’s Office.

Thus, Delaney has handled media communications for several high-profile cases.

One of Delaney’s strong beliefs as a communications director is that if you are a part of the story, you are doing something wrong; it is not about notoriety but rather the substantive issues.

Currently, Delaney serves as the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information of the New York City Police Department.

Delaney Kempner does what she does to help people and improve their lives. To her, the spirit of service is encapsulated by the tenets of Quakerism and the Hebrew tenet of Judaism, Tikun Olam, which means to repair the world. She is fulfilled knowing that her job is helping people.